Which disease is specifically treated with a VFD-approved drug in honeybees?

• A. Varroa mite
• B. Nosema disease
• C. Aethina timida beetle
• D. American Foulbrood

Answer: (D)

Understanding how the Veterinary Feed Directive applies to honey bees helps explain this. The VFD governs use of medically important antibiotics delivered through medicated feeds in animals, including honey bees. Among honey bee diseases, American foulbrood is the one that has a VFD-approved drug labeling for use in hives. The typical drug used is oxytetracycline, given in sugar syrup under that VFD label to help control Paenibacillus larvae. This regulatory pathway exists to control antibiotic use and residues in honey. Varroa mites, Nosema, and small hive beetles are managed with methods that do not involve a VFD-labeled antibiotic in hive feed, so they don’t fit the scenario described.